Captured, but Not Imprisoned
by Katzstorm
Summary: Someone attempts to tame a beast. Ice turns to fire. Thieves are drawn together. A princess finds her wild side. And magic finds its Captain. Five princesses may have been kidnapped, but it will take a lot more than five of the most notorious men in Fairy Tale Land and a couple of evil queens to control these girls. "Oh Captain, are you in for a surprise of a lifetime." AU
1. Chapter 1

**This is an AU story, in which Emma grew up in FairyTaleLand. Most everything else will be explained below. If not, feel free to message me, or ask questions in the reviews! Enjoy :)**

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A crash in the darkness, a scream in the night. Emma peered out the window into the torch-lit courtyard below, trying to make out the horrific battle that was taking place in the castle. _Her _castle. Her first and only home, her birthplace, her parents' seat for their thrones. Another shout traveled up the walls, and she ducked her head back inside, barely dodging a flaming arrow that had been shot at her.

"Emma!" The princess sighed, turning to the voice calling to her from the doorway. "Emma, stay away from that window!" Her mother nearly screeched, rushing to the frame to draw the curtains close together, blocking the outside from view. Snow White was dressed in her specially-prepared armor, light and agile plates clanking together as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and strung her bow. "What are you thinking, sweetheart? You could have been shot! Stay put, I need to find your father."

"But Mom-" Emma barely had time to get a word in.

"No buts! Stay here, or so help me you'll be grounded until kingdom come. The other girls will be safe, don't worry." Snow was gone before she had finished her sentence, and Emma was dutifully ignoring her request, like any Charming daughter. She bent next to her bed and slid out a long, intricately-carved wooden case. She unclasped the buckles on the sides of the case familiarly, but spent less than a second retrieving her prize. She hadn't spent the last ten years of her twenty-two year old life studying swordplay for nothing. It was time to finally put _Dragon's Tooth_ to battle.

* * *

Kara Charming sat huddled in her covers, listening disgustedly to the carnage sounding around her. Her mother had come by once, to see that Kara was coping, and had disappeared into the battle. Sometimes she wished that she had been born brave, like her parents or even her older sister, but she just couldn't do it. Be brave, that was. She could barely stand being in the presence of weapons, they horrified her. She preferred to socialize, or read, or even embroider. Something ladylike and refined suited her tastes nicely. Some days she just liked to visit Johanna in the kitchens and listen to her stories. They were wonderful stories, and they helped Kara realize that even though she could never be brave, she could admire those that were.

The knock on her door startled her, and she nearly cried out as she saw the handle turn and the door slowly creak open, a gleaming blade held in front of the knocker. The long blonde hair, however, gave the perpetrator away.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" the little sister asked irritably, upset that she had been startled by such a trivial matter.

Emma shrugged, smiling as she twirled the blade skillfully in front of her, scaring Kara back into the sheets. "Relax! I was just wondering if you were alright. I figured that with the battle going on-"

"I would be much better if you put that infernal… _thing _away. You could poke someone's eye out!"

Emma chuckled, sliding her sword into the sheath at her hips. "Better?"

A head of jet black hair slowly peered over its hiding place, then the delicate hands holding it released the covers. "Much. Now, what's going on?"

"I'm still not sure. Mom came by, but I haven't heard-" There was another shout, much closer than the previous ones.

Kara's and Emma's eyes met, both wide and the former's slightly more horrified.

"They're inside the castle," the sisters said in unison.

Emma flung open the door, then turned back to her sister. "Throw on some traveling clothes, but _wait here_. I need to warn the others. Do you have your dagger?"

Kara nodded, biting her lip as she pulled a small ornamented box from beneath her pillow. For a princess who detested violence, she had always known that a day like this could come.

"Good," Emma said, her voice evident with relief. "Be ready to go, I'll be back with the others. Lock the door, and don't be afraid to use that if it isn't us that comes through the door next."

Kara nodded once again, and as Emma shut the door behind her, she rushed to it and quickly locked it behind her. This day really couldn't get any worse.

* * *

"Red?" Emma whispered, peering into the room that her three closest friends had shared on their visit to the Charmings' castle. It was supposed to be a rather uneventful visit… until they had been put under siege, that was. The last Emma had heard from them was when they had retired to the room, not expecting to get much shut eye, but going to attempt so anyway. "Alex? Tam?" _Where were they?_

"Not so far as you would expect, Princess," a man's voice answered her silent question in the darkness, and she whirled around, her sword slicing through the hair before it met metal with a _clash_!A chuckle filled the air, and Emma struggled to hold her ground. Her opponent was strong, but Emma was smarter. She kicked outward, and felt her leg connect with someone's knee. Gasping in pain, her opponent collapsed to the ground, and she felt her blade press into his neck. She grabbed the man's relatively short hair and yanked back, procuring another protest and she drew the blade closer.

"Who are you?" she snarled, but lamps were suddenly lit in all corners of the room, and Emma nearly drew back. There wasn't just one man in the room, but four: the one at her knees and three others, each holding one of her friends at blade-point. Red and Tamara were both gagged, and they had obviously put up a fight. Their attackers, a man with curly blonde hair and dark circles under his eyes and a cocky-looking man with a shifty look, respectively, looked as disheveled as their prisoners. Alex, neither bound nor gagged but still held at knife-point, seemed to be too shocked to even move under her captor's hold, a tall man with a rather-large top hat.

The man at Emma's knees grinned cheekily, his brilliant eyes not matching the smile beneath them. "I'd suggest that you let release me, lass, unless you'd like your friends to be shark food."

Emma breathed out slowly, liberating her attacker as roughly as she could, nearly pushing him to the ground once again, then dropping her sword to the ground. He grinned and rose to his full height, looking up and down Emma none too subtlety.

"My, aren't you a prize? What do you say lass, up for an adventure? It won't take too long, I'm afraid. I'm supposed to deliver you to the Queen as quickly as possible, but I don't see how we can't have a little fun before it's over."

Emma exhaled again, wishing that she had cut his throat while she'd had the chance. She glanced down at her sword, wanting no more than to pick it up and run him through, but the man saw her momentary look. He clucked his tongue together like a reprimanding parent. "Oh no, Princess. No more playthings for you, I'm afraid. Besides, I think one more incentive should convince you to see the hopelessness in trifling with me.

As if on cue, the doors of the room flung open, and Emma's heart dropped. She heard one wretched sob and watched appallingly as her little sister was dragged into the room by a fifth man, a lean, hungry-looking man with the darkest eyes that she had ever seen.

"Emma, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-" Kara's heartbroken apologies were cut off as she continued to sob, and Emma could not bear it.

"Please! Just leave her be! I'll go with you, just leave Kara alone!" Stubbornness was always one of her strongest traits, but threatening her sister meant that anything could be forgotten.

Emma's attacker licked his lips, taking in the scene between the sisters as if it were just the beginning of the entertainment. "Sorry lass, but you're all coming with us. A deal's a deal, and the one the Queen struck was irresistible. I'm sure you'll come to see the reasoning behind it, and if not, you're in for an _unforgettable _experience." He glanced up at his colleagues, motioning them to get moving. Alex left first, then Tam, Red, and finally Kara. It left Emma alone with her attacker for barely a minute, but it was just enough time for Emma to feel a cold, metal instrument brush across her neck as her captor led her from behind out of the room.

"By the way love," he whispered into her ear. "Call me Hook. Captain Hook."

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**Enjoy dearies? This is my first attempt at a ONCE UPON A TIME fanfic, I really do hope that you like!  
**

**For those who wish to know what ships will take place (as of now):**

**This story will have a bit (OK, a lot) of Captain Swan, Frankenwolf, Tameal, Mad Alex (In my headcannon "Alex", daughter of Thomas & Ella, is "Alice". See what I did there? :P) and perhaps some OC/Graham, if it is encouraged. **

**My tumblr is captainlegolas, for those who wish to know. I'm a pretty much diehard CSer, but I wanted to add more to a story than just Emma and Hook. Hence this little story showed up!**

**Please let me know if you enjoyed! (Remember, the review button below is both of our friends!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**OMGOSH thanks for all of the support, guys! It's phenomenal! I enjoy writing from different POVS (and I most certainly will with this story, there being five princesses/girls and all), so here's a little Red for you. Enjoy!**

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Red felt herself topple to the ground, cursing silently to herself as she stumbled. Hands tied in front of her for the last couple of hours, it was no surprise that she was unsteady on her feet, although her captors seemed surprised when all five women fell to the ground beside her, groaning from the harsh ride.

"Well ladies, if I'd known how easily you'd lie on the ground for me, I would've kidnapped you a lot sooner!" the leader, 'Captain Hook' she had heard another dub him, called out.

Red rolled her eyes, laying her still bound hands on Emma beside her, who was giving him a look that could kill. "Calm down, kid. He's trying to rile you up." Emma snorted in reply, then lay back against the tree behind them, trying to ignore everything around her. Red understood. Until three days ago, they had been safe and well cared for, happy with the confines of a castle. Now they were out in the wild, traveling on horseback, held captive by strange men who were working for Regina. Stranger things had happened in her lifetime, but this was definitely amongst the strangest.

It didn't help that, in reality, Red was only a couple of years younger than Snow White. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was a wolf three to five nights a month, but she hadn't nearly aged as much as her best friend had. As a matter of fact, she still looked to be in her mid-twenties. It had helped with raising the Charming daughters, because they always looked up to her like a young aunt, not a woman their mother's age. And Red definitely hadn't grown much wiser than she was in her twenties. Stupid mistakes were repetitive throughout her life. Getting herself caught was just added to the list.

She had sensed their attackers before Tamara and Alexandra had, but had warned them all the same. When the four men had entered the room, she had been ready. She hadn't, however, expected them to know how she fought. Usually her wolf traits worked to her advantage, but when one man tackled her and wrestled her to the ground, using her unusually sensitive neck as a pressure point, and she heard another man going off on a tangent on how glad he was to soon be "examining the specimen", she had known that it was a hopeless cause.

Alex, the poor dear, was caught almost immediately, being too stunned to actually fight back. The daughter of King Thomas and Queen Ella was refined, sensible, and probably the most beautiful girl in the kingdoms, but she was most definitely not a warrior. The reality that someone may have taken the Charmings' castle didn't even occur to her, and she was snatched before they had time to yell at her to move.

Tam was another story. She hadn't even grown up a princess, but the adopted daughter of a Sultan knew how to throw a punch better than most. Unfortunately, as skilled a fighter that she was, a struggle of three on one was not fair in any regard, and she had been caught as well.

Now Red watched the current scene play out, as she had done for the past couple of nights. All of the girls were tied to each other by Hook, who spent an unnecessarily long time making sure that Emma's wrists were properly secured. Then the prisoners were tied to one of their captors (most often Hook, who seemed to use this time to harass Emma even more) and they all went to sleep. The next day, the ten people rode away in pairs, each girl bound at the wrists with their horses led by their personal abductor.

Red had spent the last couple of days behind the man she had only heard referred to as 'Viktor' or 'The Doctor'. He was a rather nervous-looking man, much less sure of himself when compared to the other men, and slightly older as well. He had a way of looking at her that she couldn't be sure was perverted, admiring, or even methodical. Still, he was rather handsome, in an if-I-went-out-into-society-more-I'd-probably-take-better-care-of-myself kind of way.

Getting Viktor to talk was almost impossible. Talk normally, that was. Ask him about a random bird or the force used to move a catapult and he would go on for so long that Red could fall asleep on her horse if she felt up to it. Ask him where they planned on taking her or what this "examining the specimen" thing was about, however, and he shut up for good.

A loud screech sounded through the air, and Red sat upright immediately, her sensitive ears adjusting to the noise. That was no ordinary screech.

Hook heard it too, but he actually bolted up, nearly yanking Emma's arm out of its socket and dragging along Red and Kara, who were nearest connected to her. Had her other arm not been attached to Red's, the wolf-girl knew that Emma would not have hesitated to throw a punch at the captain just for waking her up. It had always amused her that Emma, the least princess-like girl that she had ever known, craved beauty sleep more than anything.

"Shut up," the pirate snarled, silencing the complaints of Alexandra and Tam, who had finally been unceremoniously awoken. "Huntsman," he stage-whispered, and the lean, bearded man, Kara's personal captor, awoke almost silently, rising up like a shadow. "Do you hear that?"

In the darkness, Red barely saw the other man nod. "Saddle the horses," she heard him say softly, the first words that she had heard from him since they had been taken. "We need to ride like hell."

"What is it?" Emma asked, cutting into the conversation. If anyone were to interrupt, it would be her.

In the shadows, Red could just make out the slimmest of smiles on his face, sad and patronizing. "That, Princess, is the beginning of an Ogre hunt. And if we don't move quickly, we'll end up the main course."

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**Well, that's it. I really hate Chapter 2's, they're always the setting-builder and I stink at setting things up. Hence the brevity of the chapter. I promise, next chapter will be quite fulfilling. Probably more POVs, CS, and of course, character-building :)**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I hope that you enjoyed, please take two seconds to tell me so. Waking up with reviews makes me all giddy inside and itching to write more :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**You are all phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. I love you all, readers. Here's a POV from Kara and then some Emma POV.**

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Awoken in the dead of night by ogre hunting cries. Untied, retied, and thrown onto a horse. Riding faster than should be humanly possible, arms wrapped around an (admittedly good-looking) man who had kidnapped her days beforehand. Today, adding to the past three days, was just not a good one for Kara.

She had tried to stay as far away possible from the man, which had been helped by the fact that they had ridden separate horses for the past couple of days. Not a word had been exchanged between them, resulting to hand and head gestures when there was need for communication. Tonight, however, they had no such luck. After being unceremoniously thrown on the horse (no time to mount it herself, apparently), the Huntsman had mounted the same horse, settling in front of her and moving her still bound arms over his head and around his waist, ignoring her protests.

"Sorry Princess," he said, the slightest of accents hanging on his tongue. "I need to make sure that you won't be falling off anytime soon. This won't be a smooth ride."

"Why can't I just ride my horse?"

He chuckled, an odd sound coming from a man Kara regarded as her enemy. It was… _normal_. "My apologies, Princess, but you do not ride as well as your older sister. Or any of your companions, for that matter. If it makes you feel any better, everyone will have to ride double-mounted for this journey now. There's no way ten separate riders will be able to escape the ogres."

Kara huffed, trying to ignore the slight. It was true, she was an awful rider. Her father liked to tease that she rode like her mother did when Snow was young. The only problem was that Snow White was a terrible rider at age eight. Kara was nineteen and still had no skill.

"What about the other horses?" Kara asked, trying to ignore the fact that her hands were pressed against his shirt, which didn't do much good in concealing his lean and defined abdomen.

"They'll follow the others, if they know what's good for them. And they do, because Regina has them enchanted. They obey any order that is given to them by the queen, and she ordered them to follow my directions."

"What did you tell them?"

Although she couldn't see his face, Kara almost sensed the smirk. Growing up with a sister as sarcastic as Emma helped one to discover such things. "I told them that if they didn't keep up, they'd be ogre food. And that they wouldn't get the apples on their packs if they got eaten."

"What makes you think that they listened to that?"

Although the horse they were riding kept up a strong, steady canter, it almost didn't surprise Kara when a rider-less horse galloped past them, disappearing into the growth among them. She didn't need to be surprised, however.

The Huntsman twisted his head to the left, his wide blue eyes meeting hers. "That was all bull. I didn't tell those horses anything, and they're certainly not enchanted."

If she'd had a free hand, Kara would have hit him. "We're being chased by ogres! Quit lying through your teeth and ride!"

At that moment, the horse lept, jumping over a log in its path. And knowing that she would have fallen off the horse had she not been bound to the man in front of her, she was grateful. But only for a split second.

* * *

"If you don't shut up I will not hesitate to bite your ear off!" Emma said. This was probably the most uncomfortable position that she'd been in for the past couple of days, and having her arms wrapped around… No, she would not think the name. Not even to mention him in passing. He was wretched, he was disgusting-

"Feel free to nibble at it all you want, Emma dear. I'm sure you'll find a few pleasurable spots," Hook said, not even batting an eyelash,

Damn it, she said that name. In her head, at least. Captain Hook had to maturity of a three-year-old and the mind of a teenage boy. Scratch that, even a teenage had less-perverted thoughts. And he would not stop talking. "Also, love, please keep it to a whisper. We're trying not to be found."

"I SHOULD KEEP IT AT A WHISPER?! We're riding for our lives away from an ogre hunt and it's you who won't shut your mouth!"

"Do I look like a follow instructions well, dear?"

"You look like you need a makeover. Get off the horse and let's see how I can make your face look better."

"Remember lass, we are trying not to die."

"I have an idea! You get off the horse; I'll ride away. Then at least one of us will survive."

"I'd like to keep my appendages in their sockets, but thanks for the consideration, darling."

"Will you quit that?"

"Quit what?"

"Quit using those stupid names! Darling, love, dear: it's annoying."

"Is there something you'd prefer me to call you lass? I could think of a few names you could use with me. Actually, they're not really words, you wouldn't be quite coherent when you moan them-"

"THAT'S IT!"

Using all the force that she could, Emma grabbed Hook from around the waist and bent sideways, using the momentum to make them topple to the ground. Falling off a cantering horse was not at all enjoyable, but it was better than sitting behind Hook for any longer. That was until the pirate landed on top of her.

"Oomph!" she gasped, and Hook chuckled.

"Quite a precarious position you've put me in, Princess. What would happen if I just… turned around?"

"Hook," Emma said, barely daring to move. "Get off of me. Now."

"I'm not sure I can, lass. You are the one holding onto me."

"My hands are tied around your waist! Cut the ropes and get the hell off of me!"

Emma could practically feel his self-pretentious smirk as he cut through her bonds with his hook and slowly got up, groaning slightly from the fall. Emma got up immediately, ignoring his proffered hand of help, and brushed herself off. Then, without warning, she threw an uppercut punch that hit him in the jaw.

"Oww!" Hook cried out, staggering backwards and clutching his face. "What was that for?"

Emma raised her eyebrows like he was a madman. "What was that for?! Should I take the time to name a few reasons? One, you kidnapped me. Two, you are a pain in the ass. Three, you threatened my little sister, and since you can't do so right now, I might as well enjoy the moment I have to cause you some kind of pain."

Hook watched her in silence for a minute, rubbing his now-bruised jaw. "I concede, Emma. You're a braver person than most. Not many try such a deed and live to tell the tale."

Emma smiled coldly. "Well, I'm not most people."

Hook grinned in response. "Indeed you are not. Now, let's say we find the –"

An ethereal screech sounded through the night. It was followed by a scream. Emma turned in horror to Hook.

"That's Alex. They've found them."

Hook drew his sword and turned to his prisoner. "They're not far. Follow close by me, and try not to make a sound."

"I can't have a weapon?"

Hook rolled his eyes. "Lass, count yourself lucky that I haven't just tied you to a tree and left you to find your friend. No fighting, just stay nearby."

He took off into the trees, but Emma made sure to grab a large tree branch before following after him. "I'm not sitting by in a fight, Hook," she muttered, mostly to herself. "Not in a million years."

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**Reviews, plot bunnies, flames. Anything? Please place in the little box below. It will make the writer happy, and then the writer will write more quickly. It's like a snack machine. The more you put in, the more you get out :) **

**Until next time lovelies!**


	4. Chapter 4

**My apologies for the wait! Finally realized that this story needed to be completely plotted out, so I spent the majority of the past couple of days brainstorming. Now, here's some Mad Hatter & Alex time! Thank you lovelies for your reviews, please enjoy!**

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For a man in a top hat, he was certainly no gentleman. At least, not from her point of view. Jefferson (she had harassed the name out of him a few hours after their flight from the castle) was demanding, narcissistic, and rude to a point of dreadfulness. It was horrifying. Of course, Alexandra knew that this man had just abducted her, but at very least he could be slightly more courteous about it!

"Honestly, where did you learn to ride?" she muttered into his ear, peeved over the fact that not only was she a captive, she happened to be roped tightly against her captor at the moment. It was extremely uncomfortable and the fact that they were being chased by ogres at the moment did nothing to lighten her mood. "My mother grew up a maid and can still ride faster than this snail's pace."

"Sorry Princess, can't let you know all of my secrets. What fun would that be?" the Hatter countered easily. "Besides, you do enough answering for the two of us. For a girl who is clearly afraid of everything, you really do talk way too much."

She exhaled, irked, but continued. "I'm not _afraid _of everything. I just know better than most that there are a lot of ways to get yourself killed, especially when traveling in a dark forest in the middle of the night while being hunted by _ogres. _I did warn you that there would be consequences, didn't I? That there were most likely going to be dangerous creatures in the forest at night? But did you listen? No, of course you-"

They may have been riding at a canter, but that didn't stop the Hatter from turning his head and glaring at her. "Could you please, for the love of whatever sanity I have left, shut up? Or I swear-"

Alex laughed, cutting him off. "Finally, something's gotten to you! I was afraid that you'd be a dull kidnapper, but now you're at least threatening me."

"You're a pain."

"Don't worry, you're insufferable. Of all the men your little abduction party had, I just had to be stuck with you."

"You sound a little ungrateful there, Princess."

"Oh, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Hatter! Oh wait, I did."

"Maybe I should just leave you here and let the ogres eat you."

"You won't."

"Really? Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm worth more to you alive than dead."

"That really is a matter of opinion, Prin-" He didn't finish his sentence. Actually, neither of them ever finished that conversation, because a large, gnarled hand came flying out of nowhere and smacked them off the horse and onto the ground. Alex couldn't help it. She screamed.

"Honestly woman," Jefferson said, struggling to disengage himself from Alex, who was still tied around him. "Now would be a really good time to shut up!"

"They rely on their sense of smell and sound. Now would be a really good time to split up!" She replied, pulling herself away as he cut through her bonds with the saber that he had drawn for the sheath at his hip. He caught her arms before she could get out of his grasp.

"Nu-uh. We both know that you wouldn't just hide, Little Princess. For all I know-"

Alex's eyes widened in horror and she leaped at him, pushing him to the ground, which surprised both of them on many accounts. For one, she had managed to knock down a man twice her size. Secondly, she had done so right before a giant club nearly knocked off Jefferson's head. "I told you we should split up," she hissed, ignoring for a moment the cry of outrage coming from the ogre who had just missed his target.

"Still not happening, Princess," he replied, leaping to his feet, still holding onto her arms, and racing to a more sheltered grove in the forest, away from the howling ogre.

"You realize that he's just going to call more of his friends and they'll search for us until we're both supper?" she asked, racing alongside him as they drove deeper into the forest. "They're man-eaters. They won't stop until they've found their prey, or they end up dead. And since you obviously forgot to pick up your sword," she heckled, gesturing at his empty scabbard, "I doubt they'll be dead anytime soon."

Maybe it was just the moonlight, or maybe it was just her imagination, but Alex could have sworn that she saw a spark light up in Jefferson's eyes, and it wasn't happiness in any sense of the way. More like… insanity. "No worries, I have an idea. But you're not going to like it."

Five minutes later, Alexandra found herself bound to the middle of an enormous pine tree, dangling a good ten feet in the air. "I am afraid of heights. And I'm tied to the top of a tree. You really are insane."

"Why thank you Princess, I do try my best. Now, are you sure that they'll come after you and not me?"

"I'm tied to a tree. In a clearing. Obviously easy meat. Why couldn't you be the bait and I be the executor of this plan?"

"Because I still need to keep an eye on you. Besides, you look quite fetching, even as a bait-girl."

"Remind me to laugh as I strangle you later."

"Duly noted. Now, would you like to carry out your part in this plan?"

From his lookout, Jefferson was sure that she was giving him a death glare. Alex rolled her eyes, inhaled, and then let out a scream that would wake a dead man.

It was less than two minutes before the ogres arrived. Five great, hulking brutes, with beady eyes and teeth larger than broadswords, it was all Alex could do not to freeze into place as they found her. Instead, she carried on with her part, screaming bloody murder as they advanced on her.

"Please! Please, don't eat me!" She shrieked, making things up as they grabbed the tree she was attached to. She was just out of their reach. It was a sturdy, thick tree, but the way they wrapped their entire hands around the trunk was a little more than disconcerting. "I'll show you where the others are! Anything!" The tree was beginning to creak and groan. Oh dear. "Please! Don't hurt me! Please! _Hurry up you idiot!_" She finally yelled, tired of waiting for her impending doom.

"Oi! Ogres! Look up here, you oafs!" The five ogres looked up in unison, surprised to find themselves with the prospect of two meals instead of one. They were even more surprised as a glittering powder fell from the sky and landed on them. Within seconds they collapsed to the ground, snoring like old men. Alex watched, still wary but slightly appreciative, as the Hatter scaled down a tree to her right and above her, grinning so widely that she could see his white teeth from her perch.

"Not bad, eh?"

Alex breathed out slowly, knowing that she was still much too high above the ground for her own liking. "Please get me down. Now."

A few minutes later, feet safely planted on the ground, Alex felt herself slumping to the ground, not realizing how much she had been shaking in fear. She was still eyeing the sleeping ogres warily, afraid that they would wake at any second.

"Woah," Jefferson said, grabbing her waist to keep her from dropping like a bag of rocks. "Are you alright?"

"Just need to… catch my breath… Everything…dizzy." He helped lower her slowly to the ground, her back resting against a tree trunk, then crouched down beside her.

"You did a fantastic job up there."

"You're not so…awful yourself… Where'd you find…poppy powder?"

Jefferson grinned, but the smile wasn't as sharp as their previous exchanges. It was gentler. "Now, that's another long story. Let's just say… I got it from a good friend."

Alex smiled in return, black stars no longer blinking in front of her. "You can tell me it on the way. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

Jefferson cocked his head, surprised. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I should be fine. Besides, we need to put as much distance between these uglies and ourselves as quickly as possible. I doubt you have enough of that powder left to knock them all out again."

"You're right," he stood, then extended a hand to help Alex to her feet. "Shall we run, my lady?" Suddenly the title didn't seem like such an insult.

She took his hand, got to her feet, than took off, calling out behind her. "Catch me if you can!"

Jefferson couldn't help but smirk, and then raced off after her.

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**Alex is a tricky character, since she technically only exists in the show as a newborn. I figure that she's a fraidy-cat, but a smart one. She just knows too much for her own good. I love these two characters, it was lots of fun to write this chapter :)**

**Requests, comments, happiness, or anger? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's some long awaited Tamafire, and a little Snowing :) Enjoy!**

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"This won't do," Tamara said, leaning over her kidnapper's shoulders, which was a hard feat to manage considering that she was tied around him, and wrestling the reins of their horse from his hands. With a sturdy kick, she forced the horse to run in the opposite direction.

"What the heck do you think you are doing?" he asked, attempting to yank the reins out of her hands. This was a failure, as she had already wrapped them around her arms to get a firmer grip and weren't coming off anytime soon.

"Saving our lives. Have you ever actually met an ogre?"

"What do you mean- Well, no," he replied, a bit reluctant to divvy out that information.

Tam rolled her eyes and edged the horse on, ignoring his attempts to control. "I have, smart one. And the last thing we need is to give them a chase. They enjoy hunting for their prey. Do you know this area well?"

The man nodded his head, almost hitting Tam, who was positioned right behind him and trying to see over his shoulder. "Oops, sorry. And yes, I do. I grew up in a village not far from here."

"Great. Are there any large caves or underground shelters nearby?"

"Um…"

"We don't have all day."

"Obviously! Yes, there's a cave nearby."

The dark-skinned girl yanked back and brought the horse to a halt. "Please point out a direction, good sir."

He raised a hand, pointing to the southwest. "Why exactly are we looking for a cave, might I ask?"

With another touch the horse galloped onward, per Tamara's instructions. "Ogres are notorious for their hunts. Laying low underground is one of the best ways to keep yourself from becoming a meal. Trust me. I'm saving both of our hides."

The man sighed, then released his hands from the reins. "Very well. I'm going to have to ask you to let me control the horse, though."

Tam smirked. "What, afraid that I'm showing up your riding skills? Relax boy, I'm the daughter of a band of horse thieves. I probably ride better than anyone in this kidnapping party."

"Oh, it's not that, dear. I'm afraid I just showed you up."

She felt a sharp point pressing against her chest, looked down, and sighed, slightly defeated. The small blade pointed at her was held by his free hand, unnoticed as he had 'struggled' to pull the reins back from her. "Thief?" she asked, more of a statement of recognition than a question.

It was his time to grin as she slowly released her grip on the reins and he took them back. "Thief," he reassured her. "Nice to meet a compatriot, Princess. By the way, feel free to call me Bae."

* * *

Snow White watched as the drawbridge was lowered and the host of soldiers struggled back into the safety and confines of the castle. She had hardly joined into the battle three days ago when the attackers had mysteriously disappeared back into the woods. Suspecting trouble, she had rushed back to the princesses' wing and found absolutely nothing. Kara's dagger had been stuck into the door of her daughter's room, but it was Emma's sword that caused Snow to nearly collapse in shock. Emma had treated the weapon like a beloved pet and sometimes a second extension of herself: to find it carelessly dropped to the floor was all the proof that the queen had needed to know that her daughters had been kidnapped.

Snow rushed down to the courtyard, too anxious to be a patient, calm and collected queen. There was no sign of the girls in the party, but she couldn't see Charming either. She rushed amongst the soldiers, searching for her husband. When they parted almost as one and glanced to the back of the procession, a lump caught in Snow's throat. Breaking into a run, she sprinted to the men carrying a stretcher between them. She almost didn't recognize the occupant.

"Hey there Charming," she said softly, smiling even as tears streamed down her face. She knelt beside the stretcher, signaling the men to leave the two of them for a minute. "You seem to be a royal mess."

The king seemed to crack a smile, even though his bruised, blood-covered face refused to allow him to open his eyes. "Snow…" he trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper. She took his face into her hands, gently holding it as she kissed his forehead.

"Shhh. You'll be alright; everything is going to be fine."

"Regina's men… the monsters…"

"Please Charming, everything is going to be fine!" She said, almost telling him off. "You need to get better, dear. Apparently you're not as invincible as you think-"

"Snow, I'm so sorry-"

"You're safe-"

"I couldn't find them."

Snow bit her lip, but still managed to keep her voice uplifted. "But we will! That's what you and I do, remember?" She placed a kiss on his lips, then stood, gesturing for the men to take him to a healer.

Charming had left the moment he had found his wife collapsed in the girls' chamber, holding his daughter's sword and crying. The forest seemed to have been protected from the king's men. Whatever Regina planned to do with her daughters, she would pay. Snow would make sure of it. She looked out, past the security of the castle. Her daughters and their friends were out there somewhere.

"We find each other," Snow said to herself. "And then we find the girls." Like they had always done.

* * *

Bae led her into the cave with a low-ceiling, her bonds freshly tightened thanks to the horse takeover act. They had picketed the horse a couple hundred yards away, not wanting to draw any ogres nearby to them thanks to the usually noisy beast.

"So… Bae," Tamara stated, deciding to strike up a conversation. He hadn't been extremely talkative the first couple of days. "Is that a nickname, or a full name, or something random that you said to lead me astray?"

He chuckled. "Nickname, although I'm slightly appalled that you think I would lie about my name." Tam gave him a pointed glare. "True, thief. Well, it's actually Baelfire, but people tend to think that the full name is a mouthful."

"Baelfire. You're right; it is a mouthful," Tamara said, throwing a smile to show that she was joking. "It's a strong name though."

"Funny, my father said the same thing once."

"Ha, great minds think alike!"

"We don't speak anymore."

"Oh." Well, that was awkward. "I'm sorry."

Bae chuckled, releasing her and leaning up against a wall, slowly lowering himself to the floor so that he could lean back. "No worries, you weren't to know. And he is a brilliant man. Mostly insane, but still brilliant. What about you, how do you get along with your horse thieving father?"

Tamara sat down as well, crossing her legs as she leaned backward. "Well, he's been dead since I was seven, but I'm sure he's fine wherever he is."

"Gosh, I'm sorry. That was kind of careless to ask," Bae apologized, his entire expression horrified. Tam couldn't help but smile; he looked like a lost puppy.

"No worries, you weren't to know," she mimicked his earlier statement. "I don't really remember much of him. I was adopted soon after, so it all ended up well."

"That's right! Aren't you a princess of some sort? That must be an interesting story. How'd you manage to meet the king and get him to take you in?"

Tam grinned. "He's called a sultan. But you doubt my charms?"

"Not at all, milady. Let me guess: You stole his horse too?"

"Close! I stole an apple and ran in front of his horse, almost spooked the poor thing."

"You call your father a thing?"

"No silly, the horse!"

They both burst into laughter, swapping comments back and forth for the next couple of minutes. For a moment, they had both forgotten that they were a prisoner and kidnapper. A gust of wind blew into the cave, and Tam shivered outwardly.

"You're cold!" Bae said, pulling his jacket off his back.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

They met eyes, and Tam saw a playful spark within his. "No you won't. You're from one of the southern kingdoms, right? I'm surprised you haven't frozen already." He walked over to her and hung the jacket around her shoulders, since she couldn't untie herself and stick her arms through the sleeves. "There. Better?"

Tamara glanced up at him, grateful. "Much. Thank you."

"Not a problem, Princess. It's the least I can do."

She gestured at him to sit next to her, and he did so. The surprising part was when she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Not a bad place you've got here, Mister Baelfire. It's nice not to have to worry about whether or not we'll be eaten at any minute."

"It is," he replied. "I used to use this cave as an escape. When my father was being particularly insane. He never knew where I was when I was here."

"Well, for the son of a brilliant man, this wasn't such a bad place to find yourself."

"No, it was actually quite-" A scream shattered the moment, and a clatter of metal on rock shattered the silence after that.

They both glanced down at Tam's freshly cut bonds, Bae's knife dropped to the floor. He narrowed his eyes and snatched up the blade, but Tamara wasn't paying attention. "That was Alex. They've found her," she said, her voice tiny.

Bae grabbed her arm a little roughly and dragged her along. "Come along, _Princess_," he said harshly, obviously peeved that he'd been tricked. "Let's go save your friend.

* * *

**Apologies to Tamafire lovers; they are thieves, after all. I'm not going to make things easy for ANY of these pairings. At least they have something in common. Any idea what fairy tale character Tam is? (Hint: She's kind of a mix)**

**Reviews, please and thank you! See y'all next chapter; expect lots of Captain Swan and Emma-being-awesome-ness. Love you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally, more Captain Swan! This is what you guys are here for anyways, right?**

* * *

Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing. Alexandra running by her and Hook, laughing, as Jefferson chased after her with a huge grin on her face, was enough to make Hook's eyebrow raise and Emma's jaw _and _makeshift stick weapon drop. She had blinked, trying to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Alex was known as a stick-in-mud even amongst her closest friends. The very fact that she deemed to speak with the Mad Hatter was beyond Emma's comprehension, much less… _flirt with him?_

Of course, she had to be relieved that her friend was in no immediate ogre danger. Hormonal danger was a completely different story.

Emma and Hook made eye contact. "I thought she was supposed to be the reserved one?" he half-asked, half-remarked to her.

"So did I," Emma replied, peering a little cautiously at the wooded path that Jefferson and Alex had just raced down.

Hook smirked. "Well Princess, if the most sullen of you sweethearts can learn to have fun with her partner, maybe there's hope for you yet."

Emma rolled her eyes. "There's a difference between the other girls and me, Captain."

Suddenly he was standing in front of her, barely a breath away from her face. "And what would that be, love?"

She caught herself looking into his eyes. Green, like the ocean. But tinged with a sort of spark, a laughter… Emma nearly berated herself aloud. _Get a grip._ Then she did the only reasonable thing. She stomped her foot down onto his boot. Hard. While he cursed, Emma grinned. "I am no sweetheart."

He had stumbled away from her, thankfully. But apparently that stupid grin wouldn't fall from his face if he was dying. "I'll give you that, lass. But you'd make a hell of a pirate."

"Keep talking Hook, and next thing I break won't be a couple toes."

Did he just lick his lips? "I would expect nothing less. Now would you quit stalling me, dear? I need to make sure that my friend isn't doing something completely stupid, like chasing your poor princess friend around the entire forest and singing happy little jigs. This is the first time I haven't seen him being a sarcastic know-it-all and it's beginning to frighten me."

He stalked off after Alex and the Hatter, leaving Emma behind. "You're not afraid that I'll run off?" she called out after him.

Hook stopped and turned around. Even from the distance, Emma could practically sense the customary, smug grin. "It's not a matter of fear, lass. Of course you'll come after me!"

"And why is that?"

There was that spark in his eyes again. "Because you enjoy a challenge almost as much as I do. And this will be one of the biggest challenges of them all."

* * *

Things were getting even more confusing. They had finally made it back to their rendezvous point (Apparently the men had decided on one long before the women had been abducted), only to find the situation between kidnappers and kidnapped more jovial than ever. Alex and Jefferson sat on a log in the clearing, chatting up a storm that seemed to confound everyone in the party. Something to do with mystical worlds that Alex had only read in storybooks? Emma didn't even want to try to follow.

Red and Viktor, whom she had also heard referred to as the Doctor or even Dr. Frankenstein, were also sitting and chatting, although more so in a diplomatic fashion. Emma overheard a question over Red's cloak, which Viktor seemed hesitant to answer. Red bit her lip hestitantly in response, and even Emma started to get a bit worried. How long was it until a full moon?

At least Tamara and Baelfire seemed somewhat normal. As a matter of fact, they were distinctly ignoring each other: Tam was trying too hard to pay attention to all of the other group members, and Bae was trying to hard not to pay attention to Tam. However, it didn't take too long to notice the offhanded glances that Bae shot at Tamara when he thought she wasn't looking. There was an air of disgust, but an even more pronounced aura of admiration.

"Emma!" Emma heard her baby sister call out, and was nearly tackled to the ground as Kara embraced her, pinning her arms to her sides. "You're alright! We were all so worried, and then-"

Emma chuckled, disengaging herself from Kara for a brief second to keep herself from strangling, then hugging her again with the same intensity. "I'm fine! The worst trouble was when Hook made us fall of our horse, but other than that we didn't see anything." Emma could practically feel the captain glaring at her, but her back was toward him and she could have cared less. "Are you alright? No injuries?"

Kara grinned, a cheeky, full smile that Emma had known since her little sister had been born but still never once failed to make her beam in return. "Graham and I are fine, yes." This startled Emma. Since when had there been a 'Graham and I'? "We were nearly toppled over by another one of those stupid ogres, but suddenly it sprouted three arrows from its chest! Graham is an expert in archery apparently," she said with another brilliant smile. Ah, there was the catch. Kara had been studying archery since she tiny, trying to take after their mother, who was more than adept. Apparently shooting people from far away was safer and less heartbreaking then stabbing someone through the heart with a sword. But Emma had digressed. Her little sister and… the Huntsman? Everything was just becoming more and more strange. Wait a second…

Emma rounded on Hook, who quickly shuffled out of the way to avoid whatever swing she planned on smacking him with. "What have you done?"

Hook raised an eyebrow. "Done what? If you haven't noticed Princess, I'm too busy watching your ass to do anything sneaky."

Emma ignored the comment and continued. "To the girls, Hook! What have you done to them? Suddenly they're being all cutesy and sweet and just too darn nice to the men who just kidnapped them. What did you do?"

Hook's eyes widen and one of the largest grins Emma had ever seen crossed his lips, like the biggest holiday in his pirate career had just come three months early. Then he began to laugh. "Oh Emma, remind me not to hint at anything too important to you. It may be too long before you get the big picture."

"What big picture? Hook, what the hell is going on?"

Hook chuckled again and wrapped a hand around her waist before she could move away, turning her back around to face the group, who was thankfully paying them no attention, and whispered into her ear. "Emma dear, that's a group of men and women realizing that while you may have no escape at the moment, at least everyone could try to be civil. You being as smart as you claim, shouldn't you have tried to same with me?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Aren't I doing that already, Hook? Those boys may be easy to play, but I thought you liked a challenge."

She was acutely aware of the fact that his lips were nearly resting on her neck as he leaned over her shoulder and continued. "If you were playing hard to get, Princess, you probably would have pulled away from me by now."

With a snarl Emma attempted to release his hold, but he only gripped her tighter and pulled her in close to him, facing each other. Before she could so much as breathe, he called out to his men behind her, without taking his eyes from her. "Alright then boys! We're less than a half-hour's walk from the ship, let's get a move on!"

While the others gathered their things and shuffled around, Emma stared at the man incredulously. "Ship?" she asked, trying to ignore her precariously close position to the captain.

Hook winked, licking his lips once again as he watched her situation "You'll love her, my dear. The Jolly Roger makes anyone feel at home. Besides, what better way to arrive in Regina's kingdom but a pirate ship?"

* * *

**What is a better way indeed? :P Enjoy? Hate? Don't care? Review and let me know!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys! Oh goodness, I'm sooo sorry about how long it took for me to upload this chapter, but I hope it is worth your while! Enjoy :)

* * *

Emma and the rest of the girls whirled around in awe at their new surroundings. They had been led onto the ship and they now stood near the center of the deck, watching as Hook and his four fellows rushed about the ship to make sure that she was in prime condition. Within minutes they had cast off and were on their way. It was amazing to watch, even though the reasons behind their little boat ride may be leading to Emma and her friends' doom.

She stood on the starboard side of the deck, watching as the land slowly dwindled away from view. She knew that Kara and the other girls were safe for the time being, but it didn't help ease the idea that this may have been entirely her fault. She didn't even notice as ropes and pulleys swung about her until the next one deposited their very own captain right beside her, making her jump backward in surprise.

"Not thinking of jumping ship, are you Swan?" Hook asked, eyes gleaming. "I'd hate to have to save your sorry self; all those wet, tight clothes-" She hit him offhandedly in response.

"Shut up. And why did you call me that?"

"Hm? Swan? You've been wearing that pendent since we left, right?" He said, pointing out the thin silver chain that hung at her neck, tucked into her shirt. "The charm fell out when you bent over, and you told me to quit calling you sweetheart. I needed a new nickname. But why the swan charm?"

Emma stared up at him. "What were you doing looking at my neck as I bent over?"

Hook's smile grew in response. "A man will be a man, Princess. But you never answered my question. And we have a lot of time on our hands."

Emma muttered something under her breath, probably a curse against the Captain and his entire family, past, present and future, and turned back to the railing. "My mother gave me that necklace for my eighteenth birthday. She knew that my favorite nursery story was the Swan Princess." Hook stared blankly at her. "You know, Odette? Girl got turned into a bird... You've never heard of Swan Lake?" Hook shook his head, and Emma groaned incredulously. "It's a great story, pick up a book in the future. Anyways, sadly, my mother was a little out of touch; I hadn't read that story for five years. I guess it was the thought that counted." She fingered the necklace hesitantly, still staring out at the water. "I'll probably never see her again, you know."

Hook tried to cover for himself. "I'm just the transportation, Swan; you never know what-"

Emma's eyes flashed as she snapped at him. "No, I do know what, Hook. I will watch my friends as they are tortured and die by Regina's hand. I will listen to my little sister as she screams for me, for help, but I'll be chained and gagged and unable to do anything. I will betray my parents and my country in an attempt to save their lives, then watch them be struck down at my feet. You may be the transportation, Captain, but you're also the catalyst. You're leading five women to their deaths for a sack of gold. I hope it makes you happy." She stalked off, completely ignoring his attempts to reason with her, and found her sister standing on the other side of the deck, her expression peaceful as mist sprayed her face. Hook watched as the princesses' hands clasped around each other, and a sudden fury overtook him. He scowled, then made his way back to the helm. This wasn't just about the money. And if these girls were the price he'd have to pay for his retribution, he should be grateful. Five princesses to save many innocent people. But why was it that he was suddenly so unsure if it were a price he would be willing to pay?

* * *

A few hours on the open sea passed without problem, until the Huntsman called down from the crow's nest. "Captain!" His slightly accented voice carried through the air. "We may have a problem."

The entire group turned and looked in the direction he was pointing. All around the skies were bright blue and cheerful and dotted with fluffy white clouds...except in that direction. A dark gray cloud formation, almost black, was creeping more quickly in their direction.

"That could be a problem," Hook muttered, and caught Viktor's eye. He motioned for him to meet him at the helm. "Get the girls below decks, will you? The last thing we need is someone flying overboard in the storm."

"So there will be a storm?" a voice called from behind him.

Now it was Hook's turn to groan. "Swan, now may not be a good time."

The blonde princess paid the comment no heed and continued. "You realize that a storm that size could easily capsize us if we're not careful. No offense, Captain, but this boat isn't exactly a galleon. We're going to get hit hard."

Hook blinked in surprise. "This _ship _is the greatest to sail the seas. The Jolly Roger hasn't been capsized in a hundred years; it's not about to now. Speaking of which, when did you learn sailing terminology?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "My father took me overseas a lot when I was younger. I learn quickly. Also, how do you expect to keep her afloat with five crewmen?"

"Please don't tell me you're about to offer your services, Princess."

Emma smiled, and suddenly the other four girls came up to stand behind her. "Actually, we all will. Ten heads are better than none, and we're about as able-bodied as you're going to get at the moment, considering that one of your own crew members is seasick." Gagging was heard in the background as Jefferson coughed up over the side of the ship. "That's not very pleasant. So, what do you say, Captain?" She looked pointedly at him in the eye, gaze never wavering.

Hook took a glance at his motley crew. A doctor and a wolf lady, a hunter and a dainty little girl, two thieves, a magician and a bookworm. And, of course, the blonde young woman who would most definitely make an excellent pirate, if she didn't hate him so passionately.

"Well," Hook started, "what are you waiting for? Get to work, you scallywags; we don't exactly have all day! There's a storm brewing!" The nine new crew members rushed about over the deck, and Hook managed his first real grin for the day. This was bound to be exciting.

* * *

Alright, exciting was a very bad choice of words. More like interesting. Or terrifying, if you weren't Hook. Captain Hook was never afraid. The storm had crashed down hardly ten minutes ago, but it was wreaking havoc. The sails had already been stored away, and Hook could hardly hold the rudder in place to keep them on their course. He caught sight of Emma snatching at a flying rope and tying it quickly to the deck, using nimble fingers to tie a knot that would make any pirate proud. Then a particularly large wave crashed onto the deck and she was lost from view.

A shout barely carried over the howling winds and water, as Viktor and Red held onto the railings for dear life, reaching for another piece of loose equipment that had been torn away in the wind. A wave knocked the two back onto the deck, leaving them safe for the time being.

The masts began to creak with a noise that worried the captain. Graham and the younger sister, Kara, began trying to stabilize them by tying more ropes around them and roping them to the railings. It would have worked, had more waves not knocked them off their feet and left them unable to regain control over the mast. A smaller rigging began to fly overhead, forcing the crew to leap out of its way to avoid getting hit overhead. A wave crashed over Hook's head and he felt himself letting go of the rudder, which was disastrous. Trying to find control over it again could snap the rudder in half in this storm. Suddenly he felt firm, smaller hands than his own grab hold off his arms and pull him back toward the rudder.

"Couldn't get enough of me, eh Swan?" he shouted over the wind, laughing as he did so. There was nothing more exhilarating than a storm at sea.

He couldn't see her expression, but Hook could almost guarantee the notorious eye roll. "Quit making me save your sorry ass, Hook! It's beginning to look needy!" she called out in reply, reaffirming his grasp on the rudder before she released him. There was a moment of respite, before another huge wave washed aboard and knocked Emma off of her feet and slammed her against the helm where Jefferson was standing.

"Emma!" He called out, but she stayed lying there. Damn it all, she wasn't moving. Another scream filled the air, and Hook watched in horror as one of the smaller masts came crashing down to the deck. He heard a sickening _crack_ and nearly lost control of the rudder again as he realized that one of the princesses was lying beneath the broken wood, the mast on top of her small body.

"Alex!" A call from Jefferson traveled through the air, and he made to leave the helm, before Hook barked an order at him.

"Leave her, Hatter!" Hook managed to shout, even though he knew no one else could get to her body and move her from harm's way. "Let them take care of her!"

"They can't see her, Hook!" Jefferson shouted back. It was true. Bae and Tamara were struggling under a tangle of broken rigging, Graham and Kara were still attempting to keep another mast from crashing, and Viktor and Red were desperately tying more ropes down to the deck. "She might get hit again!"

The entire ship creaked painfully, and Hook watched the entire scene with horror. What could he do?

"Hook!" A familiar voice called to him, more softly than a shout, but determined. Emma was sitting up by the helm. Blood trickled down her forehead, but her eyes were clear. "I've got the helm," she said, grasping the bottom of the wheel with one hand in reassurance, using it to lift herself up.

The Hatter and the Captain met eyes and Hook nodded. "Get her off the deck!" Jefferson took off without another word.

"I thought we'd lost you, Swan!" He called out at the princess, who seemed to be leaning against the helm for as much support and she needed to keep it in place.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Captain!" She shouted back at him.

"Indeed we can't," Hook replied, but it was more of a remark to himself then it was to her.

* * *

**Was it worth it? I hope so. Is Alex alive? I won't tell until next chapter :) Please review, Captain Swanners are the best; you all really make my day!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all of the great reviews! So, to continue with the story:**

* * *

Emma sat below deck, exhausted. The storm had ended half an hour ago, but the damage had been enough so that the crew was still hard at work at this minute. Hook had ordered her down to the infirmary to get her head wound checked. Being Emma, she had refused, but once Red also insisted that Emma find a bandage to put on her bleeding skull, she finally complied. Dr. Frankenstein and Jefferson were too busy attending to Alex to pay her any attention when she walked in, grabbed a few clean rags, then headed for a quiet, dark part of the ship. According to the men, her friend would survive, but Jefferson's crinkled brow of worry still had her uneasy. Until Alex woke up, they really wouldn't have any idea of what they were dealing with. And Alex hadn't woken up.

The corner she was currently sitting in was dark, wet with sea water, and cold, but it was the first moment of solitude that she'd had in weeks. The kidnapping, the journey, the storm... It was all happening too quickly. A month ago she'd expected this to be the most aggravating time of her life. Now she realized that she'd never suspected half of it to be this bad.

A patter of footsteps pulled Emma from her musings, and she shrunk back against the wall, hoping that the passerby would miss her. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. Fortunately, her discoverer wasn't hostile.

"Emma?" Her soft voice was a comfort to her older sister. "You holding up?"

Emma pulled her head out of the shadows and managed a grimace. "As much as I can. How are you doing, Kara?"

The dark-haired girl was soaked to the bone, Emma could feel it through her clothes as she found a spot next to her and snuggled up next to her sister, chin tucked under her knees. Emma wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. It was a comforting gesture for both of them. "This entire trip has been... terrifying." Kara let out a short bark of a laugh. "These men aren't that bad, though."

"They're pirates and kidnappers, Kara."

Kara nodded in agreement. "I'm not dense, Emma. Still, you have to admit, besides the whole kidnapping for money thing; it's not like they've hurt us in any other way. It's a business venture; we're the cargo. At least everyone's been civil; well, besides you and Hook, of course."

Emma straightened, surprised. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kara let out a small laugh. "Yikes, and I thought the both of you were supposed to be the clever ones. Honestly, from the way you both keep staring, you're either gonna end up decapitating each other or kissing."

"You're out of your mind."

"Maybe," Kara said, setting her head down on Emma's shoulder. "But maybe we all are. Whose crazy idea was it to stick five young men and women on a ship together and not have any consequences? It's a disaster waiting to happen."

Emma stared at her little sister. "When did you become such a philosopher?"

Kara grinned. "I've had a lot of quiet time on my hands. It's the product of getting stuck for a little too much time with Graham. Great looking guy, but not really a talker."

It was Emma's turn to laugh aloud. "I swear, Kara, when we get home, I will be locking you away in a tower for a couple hundred years. No boys for you."

"Aw, but then what will you do about nieces and nephews?"

"I can live without nieces and nephews. You, on the other hand, are not allowed to even speak to a man when this is over."

Kara grinned slyly. "What about Dad?"

"Dad doesn't even count; Mom's had too much influence on him. He's about as harmful as a butterfly."

"Has Tam ever told you about the killer butterflies she's seen in her homeland?"

Emma nudged the smaller girl gently. "Oh shut up."

"Make me."

Emma couldn't remember the last time this had happened. Having a proper, fun conversation with her little sister, teasing and laughing and just being... girls. Ever since the... proclamation, Emma had closed herself off from the world. She missed this. She missed being close to Kara.

Another set of footsteps entered the area, but the girls paid them no attention until a pair of hunter's boot stood near their legs.

"Um," the Huntsman seemed extremely unsure of himself, and Emma smirked, climbing to her feet. "The Captain asks that you two return to the upper deck. Please."

"Oh, really?" Emma said, not bothering to hide any sarcasm that dripped from her tongue. "Please tell the _Captain _that we'll take our sweet time doing it, but we're on our way up." Kara stood beside her, her chin pointed as she attempted to seem as confident as her sister. Graham glanced at the girls, not exactly nervous, but definitely perturbed, then turned his back on them and stalked away.

"You're right," Emma stated, and Kara turned back to her, confused.

"About what?"

The blonde princess grinned. "He really is good-looking."

Kara laughed, hooking her arm through her sister's and leading her back towards the stairs. "Please, you have first dibs on Captain Hook! Now that's a man any girl couldn't wait to get their hands on."

Emma visibly shuddered. "I wouldn't touch that man with a ten-foot pole, even if his stubble is amazing. Come on, you hormonal girl; if Hook actually needs us then something important is going on. That or he wants an excuse to grope me."

Kara squeezed her arm gently. "Don't worry; I've got your back."

Emma smiled. "That's why I know we're going to be alright," she said, although she wasn't really sure if she should believe it herself.

* * *

Hook stood back at the helm, surveying the damage from the past hour. One broken mast, debris everywhere, and at least one badly injured. For a crew of ten, that actually wasn't a bad count. Unfortunately, he really did need every person alive and well. After speaking to the Hatter, there was fear traveling about the ship that Alexandra may never walk, if she ever woke up. The mast had landed on her hips, and a piece of flying debris had knocked her unconscious by the time Jefferson had reached her. The man hadn't left her side since the accident. For others, the sight may have been touching. Hook, however, just needed her alive. He was a pirate, collateral damage occurred on his ventures.

The knock of wood on the deck brought him back to reality. Baelfire stood nearby, looking over the ship just as Hook did. "Remember when you tried to teach me to sail?"

"Aye. That was a bad day on many accounts. Although I'm really not in the mood to reminisce at the moment, Bae. What do you want?"

Bae raised an eyebrow, almost confused. "You almost lost the Roger today, Hook. Usually this is about the time you become nostalgic to a point that's nearly unbearable. "

"Aye. But today isn't exactly a day entitled to nostalgia, Baelfire. We nearly lost half of our bounty today."

"Jefferson just sent me the news; Alex is awake. No worries, Captain, you'll receive your precious ransom money." There was a pause. "Still, you look a little haunted at the moment. Don't tell me that Emma actually got to you?" Hook turned on him, eyes blazing, but Bae held up his hands in a peace gesture. "Relax, I'm not about the judge. Everyone on the ship heard your argument this morning. Way to keep the prisoners calm, by the way."

Hook muttered obscenities under his breath, mostly to himself, and turned away. "Get back to work, Bae."

"Fine. Just remember, we have a job to do, nothing more."

Hook rolled his eyes. "I'd think I'd remember the job better than anyone here. Considering I'm the one who gathered this merry bunch to get the job done."

"Yes, yes, we know. The 'Regina gave me this job and I'm here to see it through' crap. You've sprouted it as often as you could on your way there; try not to repeat it too often, it'll give everyone a headache."

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you," Hook growled.

"Or what, you'll skewer me? We've all heard the threats, Captain. Like I said, repetition. You're getting a little easy to read."

Hook sighed. "Go away, Bae. It's been a long day; I'd rather not throw you over the ship now. I'm not exactly sure I'd pull you back in. Besides, I don't believe anyone here could actually swim over and save you."

Bae smarted from the comment and mentioned something about whether Hook would actually have the strength to lift him, which caused another round of insults to go underway as the two men continued to bicker. They didn't notice as two of the women climbed to the upper deck and stood by the railing, watching the waves pass by them. They also didn't notice as one of the women slipped on a large puddle of water on the deck and went flying. They did, however, notice Emma's terrified scream and heard the splash as Kara hit the water.

"Man overboard!" Bae shouted, running for the anchor. Hook raced past the helm and down to Emma, who was about to throw herself into the water. He grabbed her waist before she jumped, and she tried to elbow him in response.

"The waves are too strong, lass. You'll be pulled under!" He shouted as she struggled against him.

"She can't swim, Hook!" She screamed in desperation. Without warning he released her, pulled off his coat and boots in a heartbeat's time, and dove into the sea.

He resurfaced only a few yards away from the drowning girl, but a sudden wave splashed across his face and threatened to force him under for good. He streamlined his body and used the strength of his being at sea for a lifetime to make his way through the current, aiming for Kara. She was barely keeping herself afloat, paddling about like a puppy in an attempt to keep her head above water. Another wave nearly forced Hook off course, but he kept going, using firm, stiff strokes to make his way to the girl.

Kara was in even deeper trouble now. She had swallowed a lot of sea water, and now couldn't stop coughing. Hook reached out his good hand to her and she took it, but her grip was too weak and she was swept out of his grasp. He swam all the way to her this time, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him. Her hands wrapped around his neck. "I've got you, lass," he managed to say, before a new wave hit them both and nearly forced them under again. Hook could have sworn that he saw his life flash before his eyes, then realized that he saw a rope flying in the air toward them.

"Grab on!" He heard a shout from the deck, and almost grinned to himself. Emma, that minx. She could've thrown it sooner. Kara wrapped her small hands around the rope and Hook followed after her, holding on for dear life. The rope was pulled slowly but continuously, and after getting hit by a few more waves Hook felt the side of his beloved ship. He watched to make sure Kara wouldn't fall as she was yanked onto the deck, coughing and sputtering. Then another wave hit the ship and he lost his grip on the rope. He felt himself falling back to the sea, about to be claimed by it once more, when a pair of hands grabbed his own. They were smaller, and feminine, and he could have sworn that she was purposely digging her fingernails into his. Then he was pulled back onto the ship and fell on top of her.

"Swan, I've said it before and I'll say it again," he said, eyes glittering at her astonished face. "You cannot get enough of me."

She scowled, then pushed him off of her, rolling onto the deck. "That was disturbing. And no, I cannot 'get enough of you'." She said, using finger quotations in the air to emphasize her point. "I don't want any of you."

She turned back to the other side of the deck, where Kara was lying on the ground, surrounded by Tamara and Red and Baelfire and Viktor, who had helped Emma pull the two of them back to the ship. "But thank you," she said, turning back to the captain. "Thank you for saving my sister."

Hook managed a weak fingered salute, still grinning like an idiot. "My pleasure, Princess."

* * *

**Don't worry, this story will really begin to kick-start soon. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)**


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